🏀 College Basketball Predictions Today: UConn to Continue Lockdown Defense

With conference tournament action beginning as early as next week, Saturday’s college basketball action provides an outstanding balance of teams looking to nail down regular-season championships and those continuing to jockey for seeding. 

My college basketball predictions today involve two ATS plays from power conferences, including one matchup between ACC teams that are playing for the first time. I also add two player props on Kingston Flemings' and Bryce Lindsay’s point totals, buying low on one and selling low on another.

🏀 College basketball predictions today: Best player props & ATS picks

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 4.0 units | Max profit: 3.87 units

💰 Best college basketball bet today

Seton Hall vs. UConn prediction: UConn -13 (-110) 

UConn is coming off wins over NCAA Tournament teams in Villanova and St. John’s by a combined 42 points. There should be no letdown when playing Seton Hall, which has beaten the Huskies in each of the last three seasons.

UConn is coming off its biggest win over St. John’s in program history and set a record for the largest margin of victory at home against a ranked team. The Huskies held the Red Storm without a field goal for the final 17:28 and should limit a Seton Hall offense that has averaged 57 points over its last three games.

🔥 More college basketball picks & player props today

Louisville vs. Clemson prediction: Louisville -1.5 (-102) 

Despite losing 77-74 in Chapel Hill on Monday, Louisville was as high as a 3.5-point favorite over North Carolina, which is a huge sign of respect for a Cardinals team whose defense has been an issue at times on the road this season.

When star guard Mikel Brown Jr. was out with an injury, Louisville went 4-4 while averaging 80 points and 15.6 assists per game and shooting 32% from beyond the arc. Upon Brown’s return, the Cardinals won seven of their first nine games, while averaging 84.6 points and 17.6 assists, and shooting 38% from 3-point range.

Louisville also entered the week ranked fourth in D-I averaging 11.8 made 3-pointers per game. That should pose problems for a Clemson defense that ranks 13th in ACC play in 3-point percentage allowed.

Colorado vs. Houston prediction: Kingston Flemings Over 17.5 points (-102) 

Entering Monday’s game against Kansas, Houston guard Kingston Flemings averaged 23.9 points on 52% shooting in his first eight games against ranked opponents. Thus, I am buying low on Flemings after his 16-point effort on 6-of-18 shooting against the Jayhawks.

Flemings has been in a shooting slump of late, making just 32% of his shots from the floor over the last five games. That is a big drop-off from the 52% he was shooting over the previous six.

There may not be a better opponent to get right against than Colorado, as the Buffaloes rank in the bottom 50 in 3-point percentage allowed. But instead of backing the Over on Flemings’ 3-pointers, I am backing his overall points since he could live at the free-throw line against a Buffaloes defense that is the third-worst team in league play in free-throw rate allowed.

Villanova vs. St. John’s prediction: Bryce Lindsay Under 10.5 points (+100)

The last time Villanova played a top-tier Big East team coming off a loss, UConn held it to 63 points and 25% from 3-point range. I expect Rick Pitino’s squad to lock in defensively after being embarrassed by UConn.

In the first 14 games of the season, Bryce Lindsay was averaging 16.9 points while shooting 48% from the floor and 45% from 3-point range. But entering Wednesday’s rematch against Butler, Lindsay’s averages were down to 7.2 points, 25% shooting, and 23% from beyond the arc in 13 games since.

Lindsay scored a respectable 11 points on eight shot attempts in the first meeting against the Red Storm. But he also made three free throws in that game, and he's only done that twice in the last seven games. FanDuel is the only one of our best sports betting sites where one can find plus-money odds on this wager at this number.

💡 How I'm betting college basketball today

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

Seton Hall is 5-1 ATS as a road underdog and covered both of its games against ranked opponents. That has me backing UConn as a one-unit play (instead of two or more units) like all my other picks, even though the Huskies are my favorite play of the day.

From a player prop perspective, I am balancing the idea of buying low on one of the best freshmen in the country in Kingston Flemings to get right against a bad Colorado defense, while expecting Bryce Lindsay’s struggles to continue against St. John’s.

🚀 Best college basketball parlay picks today

In addition to the four wagers above, I am adding a play on Duke’s moneyline odds as a fifth leg for this parlay. The Blue Devils are 30-0 at home since the start of last season, and adding them to this parlay brings the odds from +1397 to a more enticing +1606.